Green and Gold
by Lily Wanderer
Summary: Turning back, he saw that the girl was still standing and ran back to her. He probably wouldn't see her again, but he had to know her name. Smiling, she said, "I'm Clary." -All Human
1. Prologue

Hey Guys!

So after reading a bunch of stories, I got inspired to write my own! I am not sure about the plot but it will be filled with lemons in later chapters. Please read and review. As always:

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters are they are the property of Cassandra Clare.

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Jace stared at the window leading to his new room. The woman who brought him there promised that he would be able to visit his old house someday but he knew she was lying because nobody kept their promises. His dad promised to always be there for him and look how that turned out.

_Some idiot had crashed into their car and his father went to the hospital. The fire from the crash burned his dad's skin so badly that they had to transfer him to a special hospital hours away. Jace heard the doctors tell the woman that he might make it and believed that he would get his father back. They were supposed to be the best at treating burns and Jace clung to that sliver of hope. Instead, his eight year old eyes saw the line on the screen flatten; doctors rushed towards the bed but the line never came back up. _

_From behind the door, he heard the doctor pronounce his father dead. His bottom lip began to tremble and he forced himself to let go of the wall. Jace hated crying in public. Running through the halls, he slipped past the doctors and crowds until it became difficult to breathe. Leaning on his knees, he tried to pull in a breath but was unsuccessful. _

_All he could hear was the doctor's voice, "Time of death: 0800 hours." That was it. There was neither remorse nor emotion behind those words. His father, the man who raised him, was just another dead guy to the doctor. Curling into the corner, he stared at the wall in front of him until he felt something touch his shoulder._

_Bright red curls framed a pale white face. Green eyes stared at him with curiosity and empathy. As he opened his mouth to tell her to go, he saw a bandage on her left temple. It nearly reached her eyes and for a moment, he thought that it would have been terrible if it damaged those eyes. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, the grief slammed back. The pain in his chest resumed and suddenly the girl's hand was on his cheek. _

_She wiped away his tears and asked why he was sad. Jace couldn't respond. If he spoke, he knew the tears would come down even harder and didn't want to cry in front of this stranger. Looking up, he saw a hurt expression cross her face when he remained silent. She pushed herself up and was about to leave when he grabbed her wrist. _

_Jace didn't know this girl. She was a stranger but keeping her around seemed to help him feel better. Slowly, she sat back down and looked unsure of herself. Letting her short legs stretch, she put a sketch pad on her lap but Jace couldn't see a pencil or pen anywhere. She flipped through the book until she found an incomplete drawing and reached for her right pigtail. A worn blue crayon suddenly appeared and a slight chuckle slipped through Jace's mouth. _

_Silently, Jace sat and watched the girl draw a poor excuse for a house. A crease began to form on her brow as she drew and it looked as though she forgot that she was sitting on a hospital floor with a random boy. For a while, they just sat there in their own world and even though Jace knew people were going to notice his disappearance, he didn't want to move. He just wanted to stay by this girl's side and watch her color. _

_The silence was eventually broken when the woman spotted Jace. She yelled out his name and rushed to his side. He ignored her and kept looking over at the girl's drawing, but her hand stopped. Instead, she looked at the woman in curiosity and tugged on Jace's sleeve. Reluctantly, Jace stood up with the woman and looked back at the girl. Holding out his hand, the girl's eyebrows drew together until she realized that she was supposed to take it. Without any hesitation, she gave him her hand and he helped pull her up. _

_Jace felt the woman tug his arm and began to follow her. Turning back, he saw that the girl was still standing and ran back to her. He probably wouldn't see her again, but he had to know her name. _

_Smiling, she said, "I'm Clary."_

_"I'm Jace. Uhm, you draw nice."_

_Blushing, Clary thanked him and waved goodbye before she walked into a different room. _

That happened a few days ago and now he had to go live with the woman. She said that she was a friend of his father and that he could call her Mrs. Lightwood or Maryse. A glint of red flashed in the corner of his eye and he turned around. Clary and a tall woman that looked like her mother were walking up the sidewalk. Jace's eyes widened and he suddenly started to walk towards them.

"Jace! What are you doing here?"

His smile faltered but said, "I just moved and am going to live with Maryse now."

Tilting her head, "You call your mom Maryse?"

"No, she's not my mom. But I am going to go live with her family now."

"Oh… Here, let me give you something." Rifling through her mother's purse, Clary pulled out her sketch pad. She haphazardly ripped out a page and wrote something on the back. Stunned, Jace tried to object. Clary furiously shook her head and pushed the paper towards his chest. Taking it, he opened it up and saw a completed version of her house drawing. Flipping it over, Jace saw that she wrote her name and address onto the page.

"Why are you giving me this? This is your drawing and you just met me a few days ago."

Shrugging, she said, "You looked sad last time and you look sad today. People shouldn't be so sad and you looked happier when you were watching me draw. I live two blocks away so it's not like I will never see you again."

Mutely, Jace nodded and on an impulse, he hugged her. He released her before she could hug back, but both of their cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. Clary's mother chuckled at the exchange and they bid him farewell. Jace watched them until Clary's curls disappeared and went back to the moving van. He held onto the drawing and followed Maryse to the car. She rattled on about how much he would like her home and that she had two kids his age, but Jace tuned her out. He just stared at the house and watched as strangers carried his possessions into this new home.


	2. Memories

A/N: Hey Guys! So this chapter might be a bit confusing. It is all from Clary's perspective and has time skips. The first part is when she is around 6 years old, then eight, and finally sixteen. Don't worry, this chapter will be the only time there are major time skips because I usually hate them. I couldn't resist using them here though since it gives you guys an idea on Clary and Jace's relationship and I love fluff. There are no lemons yet, but they will probably appear in a few more chapters. ;) By the way, Jace is a year older than Clary and as always, read and review!

Disclaimer: If only I owned these characters...

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Walking home with her best friend, Simon, Clary found herself thinking about the boy she met a month ago, Jace. She couldn't resist going up to the golden haired boy curled up on the floor because he reminded her of Jonathan, her older brother. They looked like they were the same age and Jace looked so sad. He seemed to really like watching her draw so she thought it would be a good idea to give him the picture. Plus, he was the only one who stayed quiet when she was drawing; everyone else asked questions and she couldn't focus when people did that.

Opening her door, Clary and Simon walked up to the kitchen counter. Her mother always made them afterschool snacks and as they hopped onto the seats, Jonathan came through the door. Following him were two boys. One had dark brown hair and blue eyes, the other made her jaw drop; it was Jace. Both boys looked uncertain when they came through the door, but when Jace saw Clary, his eyes widened.

"Clary?"

Turning towards Jace, Jon stared at him. "You know my little sister?"

"I'm not little Jon! I'm just shorter and younger than you." Out of the corner of her eye, Clary saw Simon roll his eyes. Suppressing a grin, she knew that he had witnessed this argument dozens of times and knew that she would win. Jon always caved once she started to pout and just as she was about to use her signature move, Jace let out a fake cough. That snapped them back to reality and the siblings blushed. Nudging Jon, he quickly introduced the shy blue eyed boy as Alec and the golden haired boy as Alec's adopted brother, Jace.

Jon seemed to forget his previous question to Jace and grabbed a box of snacks from the pantry. Herding his new friends to his room, Clary and Jace's eyes met for a moment. Her breath caught, but Simon's tug on her shoulder brought her out of a trance. Shaking her head, they ran up to her room and lost themselves in a game of cards.

o.O.o

Squeezing her eyes shut, Clary tried to block out the sounds of her parents arguing over petty issues. It was the same thing every night and she couldn't stand listening to it. She wanted to hide in Jonathan's room, like she used to do whenever she got scared, but her parents said that she was too old to share a bed with him. Once Clary woke up, it was impossible for her to fall back asleep and it was evident to her friends that something was wrong. She refused to tell her friends and they eventually stopped asking, but she could see the concern in their eyes.

Grabbing a sweater and a pair of sneakers, Clary opened her window. She couldn't stand the sound of people yelling and had to go to the one place where she felt comfortable, Izzy's house.

_The first time she snuck over, she tried to sneak into Isabelle's room. Hoisting herself onto a tree branch, she started making her way up to Izzy's room but was interrupted when she felt something tugging her leg. Looking down, she saw a confused but determined look on Jace, Isabelle's adopted brother. Releasing the branch, she softly landed in front of him, and for a moment, she feared that he would send her back home. Her heart sped up in fear before Jace's expression softened and he led her upstairs to his room. Reluctantly climbing onto his bed, Clary stared at Jace, expecting him to either yell or lecture her when he opened his mouth._

_"So what's your favorite color?" Feeling her jaw drop, Clary briefly entertained the idea that he was insane. No sane person would ask their little sister's friend that after seeing her about to cry. As a matter of fact, she was supposed to be in Izzy's room, not Jace's room. _

_"Gold" Clary wasn't sure what to make of this side of Jace. They hadn't really spoken more than a few words to each other since they first met, but he seemed different. One by one, Jace asked about nearly every detail in her life until he ran out of questions. When that happened, he switched to telling her about his own life, before he met the Lightwoods. Resting her head on his chest, Clary fell asleep, listening to the sound of his voice. When she woke, she found herself in her bed, with a short note written on her bedside table. _

**_You seemed tired and I didn't want to wake you. If you ever need someone to talk to, I will be in my room, waiting. ~J_**

Silently, Clary snuck into his room and saw that Jace was listening to music with his eyes closed. He looked peaceful and barely reacted when Clary sat on his bed. Pulling her onto his lap, his arms curled around her and gently placed one of his earphones into her ear. The slow paced tune of the piano had a relaxing effect on Clary and they sat in peace until Jace broke the silence.

"What happened this time?"

"Dad came home late and was walking funny. Mom got mad at him and they started yelling at each other."

"How long?"

Using her hair as a curtain, Clary tried not to look at Jace's face. "… An hour"

Brushing her hair away, Jace tilted her chin up. His eyes looked hurt as he said, "You could have come here sooner; I know how much you hate listening to them yell." Staying silent, Clary curled into his lap and tried not to yawn. Jace still felt the motion through his chest and paused his music. Grabbing a pillow, he shifted Clary so that she was lying with her back against his chest, while he draped an arm around her waist.

o.O.o

Clary heard the loud buzz of an alarm in the background. Clary cracked open her eyes, searching for the annoying sound and slammed her hand on the alarm. A deep chuckle resonated through her back but Clary only groaned and curled into the warm body. Jace buried his fingers in her hair and let out a muffled yelp.

Sitting up, he glared at Clary. "What sane person carries pencils in her hair?"

"You know that I like to be prepared in case I get inspired. It's not my fault that the great Jace Herondale can't remember something so simple."

Narrowing his eyes, Jace grumbled, "Why can't it be like the old days where you carried harmless crayons instead of spiked death traps in your hair?"

Ignoring his retort, Clary laid back down on the bed, trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep before she had to go to school. She knew that she had to make it back to her room before Jonathan or her dad noticed her disappearance, but Jace had an incredibly comfortable bed.

Clary once made the mistake of telling him this so he devised a new way to get her out of bed. Lifting her up bridal style, he dumped her on the rug in the middle of the room. Expecting this, Clary latched her arms around his neck, like a drowned cat, as he bent over to put her down. It was a comical sight and she squealed when he plopped down on the ground with her.

In a normal house, the sound of their squeals and laughter would have warranted some investigation but all of the bedrooms were soundproof. Apparently, the previous homeowners were wannabe musicians and they soundproofed the rooms so that they could "practice their art." Clary rolled her eyes as she remembered the disgusted look on Isabelle's face whenever their parents went away on a business trip. Jace usually invited girls to his room and she had the misfortune of walking in on them, several times before she learned to knock.

Clary ignored the twinge of annoyance that she got whenever she thought of Jace's "girl toys" as Isabelle liked to call them and was grateful that she never walked in on one. Snapping out of her thoughts, Clary used Jace's hand to help pull herself up and quietly snuck out of the house. They were strictly friends but if Jon or her father found out, Jace would probably be beaten to within an inch of his life.

Expertly slipping into her room, Clary quickly got ready for school and headed to the kitchen. Biting into her apple, Clary felt a large hand ruffling her hair and a saccharine voice yell, "Clare-Bear!" Jon gave her that nickname when she was little and only used it when he was in a good mood. Fixing her hair, Clary shot a glare at her brother before following him to his car. Except for Jon's car, the driveway was empty. Their dad was with his mystery woman again, meaning he wouldn't be home for another few more hours.

Sitting in Jon's car, Clary stared out the window as the houses flew by. Spotting Jace's black Mercedes, Clary felt her heart skip a beat. It was ridiculous. Clary had basically known Jace all of her life and after ten years, it still skipped a beat; she realized a long time ago that he would never reciprocate his feelings. A voice in the back of her head tried to insist that it was something more, but she ignored it. Seeing the approaching figure of the school, Clary pushed the thought to the back of her mind and prepared to start the first day of 11th grade.


	3. First Day of School

Hey guys! So I am trying to update this story about once a week and so far, I am doing pretty well with it. I added a little smut in this chapter, though it isn't between our favorite couple. Since this is one of my first stories, I am experimenting with the way I portray each character's perspective. In the last two chapters, it was strictly either Jace or Clary's POV. Now, there is a combination and I hoped I made it clear who was thinking each thing. If it isn't clear, please let me know and I will go back to the way I was writing it before. As always, keep reading and leaving behind your awesome reviews!

Disclaimer: These characters are the property of Cassandra Clare.

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Walking down the hallway, Clary was struggling to juggle her textbooks and art supplies when she felt a pack of brushes sliding out of her grip. Frantically trying to grab them, everything spilled out of her arms and she let out a frustrated groan at the mess. It was only the first day of class, yet her teachers decided to overload their students with an inhumane number of books, promising to prepare her for the challenges of next year.

Bending down to pick them up, Clary heard an appreciative whistle and chuckle in the background. Shocked, she whirled around to yell at the pervert staring at her ass when she saw that it was Jace.

Narrowing her eyes, Clary realized that only Jace would do something so lewd and think that he could get away with it; in all honesty, it was true. Jace belonged to a minority of guys who didn't see her as Jon's little sister and he was the only one who managed to flirt with her without repercussions. She didn't understand how he managed to do that but assumed that it was due in part to his close friendship with Jon.

Although Simon knew Jon for just as long, he didn't have the same friendship with him and refused to hold her hand in front of him. They did have a decent relationship though; he was her first boyfriend, her first kiss, and even her first time. However, after six months, they finally realized that they were better off being friends and ended it right before school started.

Even now, he couldn't compare to the way Jace was looking at her. His eyes blatantly roved over her body, lingering on the swell of her chest and the shape of her hips. Self-conscious, she asks, "Enjoying the view?" Instead of responding, he saunters up to her and begins picking up the heaviest books.

Checking the floor for stray books or brushes, Jace dramatically bowed and held out his arm for her. Chuckling, Clary roller her eyes at his chivalry and gestured for him to follow her.

~o.O.o~

Shutting her locker, Clary followed the long stream of students filing into the cafeteria. With a full tray, her eyes quickly found an unruly head of black hair and an unmistakable laughter. Smiling, Clary hurried over to join Simon, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, and Jace. When her eyes landed on Jace, her step faltered and she sat closer to Isabelle.

The statuesque girl follows Clary's gaze and pretends to gag. Sitting on Jace's lap was one of his more favored "toys", Kaelie. Dressed in an outfit that seemed ready to explode, she was clearly trying to coax her way into Jace's bed and it looked like she was succeeding.

"You know, some people are trying to eat here. Save that stuff for Jace's bed."

Jace smirked at the disgusted expression on his sister's face. "Why would I defile my comfortable bed like that?"

"Yeah right Jace, I have seen enough girls coming out of your room to know exactly what you do in there. I'm glad Alec and I can't hear any of it." Isabelle stated as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I am not denying any of that and there have been a lot more than you think," he added with a cocky smile. "I'm just saying that only one girl has ever been in my bed and that's the way it's going to be." His gaze flickered over to Clary at the last part, trying to convey some hidden meaning.

Clary couldn't help letting her eyes widen. Jace was infamous for being a man whore and she always thought that girls frequently visited his bed. It bothered her at first, knowing that the things he did on it were things he would never do to her, not that she wanted him to do them. Still, she just assumed that he had the decency to clean the sheets afterwards and had resigned herself to the idea that while she spent the night in his bed, he would never look at her as something more than a needy girl who was too scared to sleep in her own bed.

Confused, Clary tried to decipher what he meant by "that's the way it's going to be." Surely he didn't think that they would be able to do that forever. Eventually, he would find a girl he actually had feelings for and she would be replaced. Snapping back to reality, Clary saw stunned expressions on everyone's face, including Kaelie.

Realization and panic flitted over her face as she realized that Jace had someone else, someone better than her. Jumping off his lap, she schooled her face so that it appeared angry and she stormed away, hoping Jace would follow. He barely registered her departure; Kaelie always came back to him and was a decent distraction whenever he wanted to get his mind off a certain red head.

Smacking himself, he realized how obvious he just sounded. It wasn't enough that he had to let all of his friends know that there was a mystery girl, but he had also looked directly at Clary as he said it. Scanning everyone's faces, he reassured himself that nobody caught the look and tried to decipher the look on Clary's face. Instead of looking interested or disgusted, she looked confused, which only served to confuse him even more.

As the astonishment wore off, everyone bombarded him with questions, demanding to know who he was talking about. Instead of responding to their demands, Jace merely gave them an infuriating smile and proceeded to eat as they began listing off girls from the school.

Starting with the hottest girls in school, Jace noticed that nobody mentioned Clary. Neither Jon nor Isabelle, some of the closest people to Clary, even considered her as a possibility. Clenching his fist, he wasn't sure if he should feel upset that his family and friends didn't think they would do well together or relieved that they didn't suspect whatever was going on between them.

There was a thoughtful expression on the geek, Simon's, face and Jace couldn't help feeling a twinge of annoyance as he thought about Simon dating Clary. They tended to avoid talking about their relationships to each other so he didn't really know what was going on between the two.

A flash of metal caught his attention and all of his annoyance with the scrawny little faded away. She still wore his bracelet…

_Two days before Clary's seventh birthday, Jace racked his brain for ideas on what he should get her. Everyone was about to go Christmas shopping so he only had a few more moments before everyone left. Isabelle said that she was getting Clary a new outfit and Alec said a sketch pad. It shouldn't be this difficult finding something for a little girl. If Isabelle's room was any indication, she would probably be happy with something pink and sparkly. He was tempted to do that but it didn't seem right, especially after what she got him._

_Through his open door, he heard the cheerful melody of Maryse's Christmas music. Jingle Bells started playing and the idea hit him. Throwing on a jacket and mittens, Jace joined his new family and went out shopping with him. Searching through the store, Jace's eyes immediately settled on the perfect bracelet. _

_Tugging on Maryse's sleeve he saw her arch her eyebrow at what he wanted her to buy but fortunately, she didn't say anything. Isabelle and Alec were another story and he had to endure an entire car ride of their teasing before he managed to escape to his room._

_On her birthday, Clary's parents invited Jace and his family over for a small birthday party and he anxiously waited for a moment alone with the birthday girl. Spotting an opportunity, he followed her up to her room and shut the door. He wanted them to be along when he gave her the gift, so that only he could see her smile. _

_Nervous, he clutched his present behind his back as his eyes trailed over the pretty pink flush on her cheeks. Instructing her to close her eyes and hold out her wrist, he unclenched his hand. Somehow, he managed to steady his shaking hands long enough to clasp the bracelet on her wrist and see the single charm hanging from the chain. _

_Begging to open her eyes, Clary looked down at her wrist and gasped. For several moments, Jace started to panic and wonder if she actually liked it. Stammering, he said that he could get her something else if she didn't like the bracelet but he stopped when her arms flew around his neck. With a loud squeal, she repeatedly thanked him and nearly knocked him over when she hugged him. _

_Grabbing his hand, Clary flew down the stairs to show her parents. Tightly holding his hand, he could feel his cheeks warm as she loudly showed her parents the gift, twisting her wrist back and forth as the adults humored her. Forcing his eyes to look up, Jace saw Clary's mom wink at him and her dad… He only reserved his smiles for his family but at least there was a glint of approval._

Each year, he made it a tradition of giving her a new charm for her birthday. Only he and Clary knew what each one represented; everyone else saw them as pretty additions to her bracelet.

The first time, he got her a crayon because she always wore one in her hair.

When she turned eight: A strawberry because his private nickname for her was strawberry shortcake.

When she turned nine: A snowflake because they were currently in a snowball war.

When she turned ten: A tear drop because that was when her parents divorced.

When she turned eleven: An owl because they spent so many nights staying up talking.

When she turned twelve: A pencil because she finally took the crayons out of her hair.

When she turned thirteen: A prism because she couldn't decide on second favorite color.

When she turned fourteen: A mirror because both of them were going through puberty.

When she turned fifteen: A bell because she had to star in a Christmas play.

When she turned sixteen: A lotus flower. That one was probably his favorite because she turned dark red and couldn't speak when he explained that it was also a sex position. Smirking, he realized that it was her fault for asking him about it and he couldn't help giving her a reminder.

Ten charms later, Clary still wore the nearly completed bracelet and the sight always made him smile. As long as she wore it, he always felt as though he still had a chance to be with her, even though he couldn't summon the courage to ask her out.

~o.O.o~

Groaning, Jace let his head fall back on the couch. One hand was curled into the armrest, while the other was buried in Kaelie's fake blond hair. An hour after he got home, she texted him asking if she could come over and make up for her scene at lunch.

He smirked at the text; once she came over, all he had to do was whisper a few words in her ear and she was putty in his arms. She was desperate to remain at the top of the school and knew that the easiest way to do that was by staying in Jace's good side.

Tilting his head to see if the door was closed, he looked back at the girl in front of him. She was kneeling before him and licking his length all over. Suddenly, he felt her take him all the way into her mouth and was impressed. Obviously, she has had practice doing this but the pleasure he got from it overrode his thoughts. Most girls couldn't go down all the way on him and that was one of the reasons why he kept her around.

Gripping her hair, he made her go faster on him until he felt a familiar tingling sensation starting to go through him. Pushing her all the way down on him, he groaned out loud in release. Slowly, he waited for her to finish swallowing before he bent over to whisper in her ear.

"Again," He demanded.

He saw her eyes widen in surprise at his demand but slowly began to work him back up. Normally, he would have taken her after a round of her mouth but he hadn't gotten any in a week and wanted this to be a good one. Breathless, he felt her tongue flick out to tease his tip. Raising an eyebrow at her, he could see her smirk at being able to catch him off guard.

Even though he was the one receiving the pleasure, he refused to let her win. Sliding his grip from hair, he used it to grip her chin. Forcing her mouth open, Jace rapidly pushed himself in and out of her mouth. Plunging himself as deep as possible, he could feel Kaelie's eyes widen in surprise and discomfort.

After a while, he hit a second climax and felt Kaelie release him with a small pop. Standing up, he quickly rid her of her bra and panties; they were lace and he always had a thing for lace. Attacking her neck, Jace couldn't resist teasing her and wondered if he could get her to scream his name.

Those were always the best screws if he could get a girl to scream, not the fake kind though. He could tell when a girl started to fake it and it was annoying. What's the advantage of faking it when you leave unsatisfied and the guy thinking that what he did wrong was correct?

Pushing her onto the ground, he took her from behind, refusing to be slow or gentle. Moans and grunts resonated through the air, rapidly increasing in frequency. Soon, he felt her start to clamp down on him and slammed even further into her. His efforts were soon rewarded when she screamed his name and he quickly followed in her release.

Panting, he could feel the sweat dripping off his face and onto her skin. Pulling out, he dropped a small kiss onto her shoulder and helped her stand up. For a moment he saw her legs wobble and didn't bother to hide his smirk.

Leaning into her ear, he whispered, "I got to admit, you have one hell of a mouth. We should do this again sometime." He punctuated the last statement with a light smack on her ass and walked out of his room.

Just as he closed the bathroom door, he heard her scuttling out of his room and gave a satisfied smile. _This was going to be a good year._

~o.O.o~

Walking into the Lightwood's house, Clary and Isabelle headed straight for the kitchen. At the top of the stairs, Clary momentarily stopped. Clad in only a towel around his waist and with water dripping down his body, Jace looked even more of an angel than usual.

To her right, Clary heard a cough and saw an amused yet exasperated look on Isabelle's face.

"Seriously Clary, wipe the drool off your face. Besides, how can you still have a crush on him after five years?"

Blushing, Clary regretted telling Isabelle about her crush on Jace. She told her five years ago that she had a crush on him, but it was a lie. The crush probably started when they first met at the hospital, but she only realized it in fifth grade.

A low and familiar chuckle drained the color from her face. "Really Clary? You have had a crush on me for five years and you never said or did anything about it?"

Isabelle's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head and she shot Clary an apologetic look. Turning around to face him, Clary was startled when she saw that he was less than a foot away from her, looking like he had just won a prize. Stuttering, she tried to say that it was just a joke but her words became a jumbled mess. She would have kept going if a large, yet warm hand covered her mouth.

Gesturing his head towards his room, Jace said, "Why don't we continue this talk in my room?" Nodding, Clary followed him up the stairs as if she was walking to her death.

Hearing the door shut, Clary turned around, preparing for him to reject her. Faintly, she could smell a flowery perfume and realized that Jace recently had a female visitor. Shutting her eyes, she waited for the final blow, the words that would shatter the dreams she used to entertain when she was alone.

A hand gently touched her chin and lifted it up. Squeezing her eyes shut, Clary refused to look in his eyes as he rejected her or else she would break out into tears.

"Clary, open your eyes and stop looking like you are about to be executed. You haven't given me a chance to speak."

Shakily, Clary opened her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I already know what your answer is going to be and dragging it out like this is cruel Jace."

Crossing his arms, Jace stared at Clary. "And what would that answer be?"

Resigned, Clary could feel her eyes start to tear up. "That you aren't interested in me and that I was stupid to have a crush on you for so long. I know that I'm not your type. I'm too short, you always go for blondes, I don't have a chest, my face is too plain-

Clary felt Jace interrupt her rant with a kiss. Stunned, she simply stood there as his lips lightly pressed against hers. His arms slid around her waist and the shock finally roused her body. Clinging to him, she started to return his kisses.

Feeling her start to respond, Jace increased the pressure of his mouth and tightened his grip on her. Gently, his tongue swiped along the edge of her lip and she gasped in surprise. Immediately, his tongue surged forward, creating a tingling feeling throughout her body. Her fingers buried themselves in his curls and she could hear her heart pounding.

Suddenly, Jace pulled away. His gold eyes had darkened and were trained on her swollen lips. About to pull him back, Clary heard the pounding and realized that it was the door. Unwillingly, he let go of Clary and composed himself as he opened the door, revealing _him_.


	4. Questions

Hey guys! I am so sorry for the delay. I got swamped with homework, exams, and sever writer's block. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this latest chapter and please leave a review.

No lemons in this chapter. A big fluff warning, but not between who you are expecting!

Disclaimer: Mortal Instruments is the property of Cassandra Clare.

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Magnus walked out of Alec's room with a satisfied smile on his face. Despite his efforts, Alec was still uncomfortable about their relationship in public but in private, the boy was natural. Magnus's hand twitched to fix his hair, knowing that his love had probably messed it up as they kissed. He made his way towards the stairs when he saw Isabelle, pacing by Jace's door. She muttering to herself and jerked to a stop, pressing her ear against the door.

An amused grin spread on Magnus's face. "Sweetie, after living in this house for 16 years, you should probably remember that these rooms are soundproof. Besides, why would you want to listen to Jace and his blond toy going at it?"

Subconsciously, Magnus tilted his hips away from the glaring Lightwood and stepped around her. Curiosity overrode his sensibility and before Isabelle could object, he knocked on Jace's door. A few moments passed without a response. Frowning, Magnus knocked harder against the door and Jace answered the door, dressed in just a towel.

His eyes were drawn to low hanging towel but were distracted by the disheveled red head standing behind him. Panic flitted across her eyes and Magnus saw two distinctive wet hand prints on her waist.

"Clary?" His jaw slacked in disbelief. This was impossible, simply impossible. Jace could be a headstrong idiot at times, but even he wouldn't do something as stupid as messing with Jon's little sister.

The smell of vanilla invaded his senses as Isabelle leaned over his shoulder. She looked just as surprised as Magnus felt, but as the shock wore off, she let out a triumphant squeal. Isabelle pushed past both of the boys and reached to grab Clary's arm when a third voice sounded in the background.

"Hey Iz, have you seen Clary? She's not answering her phone." Jon walked up the stairs and paused when he saw the crowd around Jace's door.

Clary felt the heat in her cheeks worsen and saw that Jace barely managed to look composed. Neither knew what to say when Jon peeked through the doorway.

"Clare-bear, why didn't you answer your phone? We are going out to dinner today and you should be at home getting ready." Suspicion laced the end of his sentence as he took in her mussed clothes.

Clary saw Jon's eyes flit over to Jace and the disapproval in them grew when he saw what Jace was wearing. "What's happened here?"

Clary tried to come up with a believable lie when Jace saved her. "She left her sketchpad here a few days ago so I told her to stop by my room to get it." Smirking, he saw the suspicion begin to fade from Jon's eyes. "She walked into my room without knocking and was so amazed by the sight of my chest that she forgot how to walk properly. As a true gentleman, I rescued the damsel in distress, only to encounter a horde of people trying to accuse me of stealing her innocence."

Magnus and Isabelle were too shocked to say anything and simply nodded their heads in agreement when Jon looked to them for confirmation. "Alright then, sorry for being suspicious bro. I should have realized that Clare-bear was too young and innocent for your tastes."

Clary bit back a retort since that was better than admitting what had really happened to Jon. His apology was supposed to improve the situation but it stung. First lunch and now this? Was she too innocent for Jace?

Unable to meet Jace's face, Clary barely left the room when Jon turned around. "Didn't you come up here for your sketchpad? Never mind, I will get it for you."

Ruffling her hair, Jon walked back into Jace's room and asked him where he put Clary's sketchpad. The blood drained from Clary's face as she remembered that her sketchpad was in her bag. She had a second one but the last time she remembered seeing it was in her room that morning.

That sketchpad was what made their story plausible. If Jace couldn't come up with something, then that would ruin their story and make Jon even more suspicious. With a slight hesitation, Jace seemed to pull a key out of nowhere and unlocked one of the drawers in his desk.

Clary sighed in relief when she saw him pull out one of her old sketchpads. She never let people look at her drawings because they were personal. However, Jace kept pestering her about it so she eventually made a deal with him. Whenever she used up a sketchbook, he could have it.

A faint smile crossed her face as she saw the book. She gave him that book three years ago and didn't know that he still kept it. He seemed reluctant to give it to Jon, but he already had it in his hand and couldn't back out of it now. Reaching past Jon, Clary grabbed it and carefully put it back in her bag, making a mental note to bring it with her the next time she came over.

Dragging Jon by the arm, she reminded him that they had to get ready for the dinner and waved good bye to Jace.

~o.O.o~

At the start of the school year, Valentine always took his children out to dinner. They all treated it as a special occasion, got dressed up and then went to a fancy restaurant. They did this for as long as Clary could remember and the only time they missed it was the year her mother left. Stricken with grief and anger, her father locked himself up in his room, but made up for it a week later.

The dinner passed by without any trouble. As she finished her chicken, Valentine cleared his throat. "Jonathan, would you drive Clarissa back home? I have matters that I need to attend to tonight." Wiping his face, he left his credit card on the table and nodded his head in farewell.

To anyone else, this would have seemed like an innocent gesture but they knew what his pressing "matters" were that night. He was seeing his mystery woman again. Normally, they would have objected to him leaving early but he left them their credit card and whatever woman he was seeing put him in a better mood.

"Wow, dad and that woman must be getting serious. He never sees a woman this often and he has never left our dinners early." Jon looked uneasy for a moment.

Twirling their father's credit card, Clary gave him a sly grin. "True, but he also left us his credit card. Now I don't know about you, brother dearest, but I am in the mood for a little fun."

Hailing a waiter, Jon smirked and laughed. "I like the way you think. Though now I wonder if too much exposure to Jace has ruined my once innocent little sister." Clary nearly choked on her water but followed Jon without responding.

After checking the driveway, the Morgenstern children pulled into the driveway, laughing and carrying bags full of sweets. They were both fit and it always shocked people when they found out about the legendary Morgenstern sweet tooth.

Running to the kitchen, Clary pulled out two large bowls and Jonathan charged through the doors, dumping their prize on the counter. They made quick work of the wrappers and immediately scooped out large amounts of ice cream into each bowl. Toppings rapidly flew onto the mounds of ice cream, but they saved the best part for last: whipped cream.

Just as she was about to add it, Jonathan stopped her. He had a serious look on his face and looked like he had to deliver bad news when he whipped out a can of whipped cream. Roaring in victory, he unleashed his weapon, spraying his little sister all over with the foam.

Squealing in surprise, Clary raised her arms, trying to protect herself from the onslaught. She begged Jon to stop and yelled that he was ruining her dress, but he knew that she didn't care about her clothes. Slowly, she backed away, inching herself closer to the other can.

It was almost within reach when Jon pulled a second can from behind his back. It came flying at her with twice the force and she slid her own can behind her back, waiting for Jon to run out. When the time came, he turned to run away, but she jumped onto his back. Squeezing the cream onto his hair and face, she laughed in victory.

Jumping off his back, Clary ran up to her room. She stripped off the ruined dress and took a shower to rid her hair of the sticky cream. Slipping on a loose tank top and shorts, she saw that Jon had already cleaned up their war, a giant grin spread on his face.

Clary loves these moments with her brother. They were close when they were little but time slowly started wedging them apart. Plopping onto a chair, she eyed her bowl of ice cream, regretting that they had used up all of the whipped cream on each other.

Jon saw her downcast expression and chuckled. Reaching inside the final bag, he pulled out another can of whipped cream. "I had a feeling we were going to use the stuff up so I bought an extra can when you weren't looking. Shall I do the honors?"

Clary laughed and hugged Jon as he topped off her sundae and finished his. Grabbing both of the bowls, Clary followed him into the living room and let him pick the movie since he cleaned up their mess. Settling onto the couch, Clary scarfed down her food and slowly relaxed next to Jon. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was being Jon shutting off the television and carrying her upstairs.

~o.O.o~

Waking up, Clary half expected to be wrapped up in Jace's arms. Stretching, she smiled as she remembered the night before and quickly got ready for school. Rifling through her wardrobe, Clary felt yesterday's doubt continuing to worm around her mind.

She didn't have the chance to talk to Jace about what happened between them and was confused about where they stood. Did he just kiss her to shut her up? Did he want to kiss her again? The biggest question though, how did he feel about her?

Insecurity swept through her as she gazed at her reflection. Her untamed red curls looked like a rat's nest, her green eyes felt ordinary, and her figure was less than desirable compared to other girls. Once, Clary made the mistake of mentioning that to Isabelle and ended up getting slapped for "not seeing her hotness".

Picking up her clothes, Clary decided to put in a little more effort for Jace and settled on a summer dress. The top was slightly tighter and had a lower necked than the rest of her clothes, plus it was also shorter, so Clary rarely wore it. But today, Clary was going to show Jace what she had to offer and maybe they would be able to figure out what was going on between them.

Putting her hair into a messy bun as she walked, Jon raised an eyebrow at her appearance. He would have liked it on any other girl, but seeing it on his little sister made him swaddle her up in a blanket. However, they were running late and it wasn't worth the ensuing argument so he let the issue slide, for now.

The first half of school seemed to pass by Clary in a daze. The dress earned Isabelle's approval and earned her a few more looks than usual, but not from the one she wanted. When lunch came around, Clary was tempted to give up. If Jace wanted to talk to her, he would have found her by now. She once accused him of implanting a tracking chip in her because he had an uncanny ability of finding her.

The one highlight however, was Simon and Isabelle. A week after they broke up, Isabelle had asked Clary if she was over Simon and if she would be fine if anything happened between them. Most girls would have been insulted but Clary simply nodded and gave her blessings. They were her best friends and if they wanted to get together, then that was fine with her.

Everyone was eating outside today and Clary spotted Magnus's signature glittered spikes. Wandering over, she sat next to Simon and saw that he was flirting with Isabelle. Smothering a laugh, Clary turned towards Alec and was about to ask him about homework when a shadow passed over her food.

Jace was standing behind her and his fists were clenched in anger. Tapping Simon on his shoulder, he withdrew his fist and landed a solid blow on his jaw. Cracking his knuckles, Jace stared at Simon narrowed eyes and walked away.


	5. Explosion

Hey everyone! Long time no see! I know that I said I would try updating once a week and it has been two since my last chapter. I feel really bad about that so here is an extra long chapter for my loyal fans. I'm still experimenting with the way I wrote each character's perspectives so tell me if it gets confusing when I switch or if you want me to stick to just one per chapter. Or if you want a different POV, PM me or leave a review.

Thanks for motivating me guys and as always, read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments.

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Jace woke up to the shrill ring of his alarm and rolled onto his stomach, waiting for Clary to turn it off. By the fifth ring, his fingers blindly searched for her warm body and swore when he only felt the cool touch of his sheets. Dazed, he sat up and started to remember everything that happened yesterday.

_After Clary and Jon left, Isabelle and Magnus demanded an explanation. Silently, he scoffed. Whatever the hell happened between him and Clary was private and he didn't owe either of them an explanation. He eloquently phrased it with a threat to keep their mouths shut and then proceeded to shut the door in their faces. Sliding down the door, he clutched his head in his hands, trying to figure out what had just happened._

_He exited the bathroom, about to go put on his clothes, when he heard Clary and Izzy talking. Normally, listening to girls talk to each other made him want to rip out his hair, but everything Clary said interested him. As he leaned over the banister, he heard Izzy mention that Clary had a crush on him, and that it had been going on for the past five years. _

_He nearly swore. Five years? She liked him for five years and never said anything. He probably realized his feelings for her a year after they met, but five years? He could and should have been her first kiss; if he had it his way, he would be the first and only guy she kissed. He couldn't be her first; Lewis beat him to it. But, he could be her last and he finally had his chance._

The following hours were pure torture; every few seconds, he would glance at his phone, hoping that it would start ringing or alert him of a new message. By midnight, his phone was starting to die and he focused his eyes on the door. As he waited, he went through her old sketchpads, set his alarm so that she could sneak back in the morning, and even tidied up her side of the bed. Time still kept ticking and he eventually succumbed to sleep around five in the morning.

Thinking about last night darkened his mood. Curling his hand into a fist, he slammed it on the clock, nearly breaking it in the process; he didn't want any reminders about Clary.

Stalking to the shower, Jace let the hot water stream down his body. As the steam clouded the mirror, he could feel the tension in his muscles slowly ebb and when he finally calmed down, he turned off the water. _Isabelle was going to kill him for using so much water._

As he got ready, he planned out how he was going to handle the situation with Clary. Obviously, she didn't want to talk to him and if that was what she wanted, then he was going to play along with her idiotic plan. She wouldn't miss his company; she has rat boy. Jace's eyes widened.

Shit, he forgot about Lewis. Maybe that was why Clary didn't come to him last night. She wasn't the type of girl to cheat on a guy and probably felt guilty about their kiss. Jace grabbed a handful of his hair, yanked it, and called himself ten different kinds of stupid for doing this to her. She didn't cheat; he was the one who kissed her but that stubborn red head wouldn't see it that way. Clary was probably wallowing in regret and he basically spent the entire night thinking about how the kiss had affected him.

He couldn't do anything with her until those two were over. He may be a player and an asshole, but he never intentionally messed with a girl who was already taken. It wasn't worth the drama, especially since he was usually a one-time only kind of guy. As much as it killed him, he had to back off. If Clary wanted anything to happen, she had to break things off with Lewis first and then they could get together. For now, they were strictly friends.

~o.O.o~

Jace was not in the mood to deal with people today so he drove to school early. As soon as people saw the sour expression on his face, people immediately backed off. If Jace was in a bad mood, only a handful of people could approach him without earning a black eye or scathing insult. Even Kaelie had enough sense to leave him alone, and for that, he was grateful.

Class seemed to go even slower today and Jace bolted the second he heard the bell. Throughout the day, he saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye and immediately walked away. He was giving Clary her space and the only words that he wanted to hear from her involved being single. With that mindset, he grabbed an apple from his locker and went outside for lunch; fresh air helped clear his head.

He spied Clary's hair from across the courtyard and sucked up the courage to walk over. He wasn't going to make a move on her, but people would become suspicious if they suddenly ignored each other.

Next to Clary's flaming red hair was an unruly and mud colored head. Jace felt his fists clench without his permission and took a deep breath to calm down. Rat boy wasn't even touching Clary; Jace couldn't understand how the boy could keep his hands off Clary's soft skin. Nevertheless, he was glad that there was no contact between the two of them. In fact, it looked like Lewis was more interested in Isabelle than his own girl.

Jace narrowed his eyes. Isabelle wouldn't dare flirt with her best friend's boyfriend. When Clary turned to talk towards Alec, Jace saw Simon fail in his attempt to be casual and slid his arm around Isabelle's waist. He held his breath, waiting for her to slap it off and humiliate him in front of their friends. Instead, she leaned into the bastard's grip.

Jace couldn't believe it. He spent all of last night and this morning agonizing over the fact that Clary was taken, when her boyfriend had the gall to cheat on her with her back turned. Without thinking, he strode over to the group. Jon was the first to notice him and raised an eyebrow at the eerily blank expression on Jace's face. He tapped the rat's shoulder, waited for him to stand, and then swung his fist as hard as he could into the bastard's jaw.

Satisfied, he turned around and got into his car before anyone could recover.

~o.O.o~

Jonathan and Alec helped pull Simon back up. Dumbfounded, he sat on the grass, confused and clutching his jaw. It hurt like hell but Isabelle was already pissed off and seeing him in more pain would just add fuel to the fire. He brushed off their help, but was grateful when Clary returned with an ice pack.

Everyone in the group was just as confused as him and the girls looked like they were ready to castrate him. The image brought a smile to Simon's face, but he wiped it off before anyone could see; they would just call him crazy and claim head trauma. Now that he thought about it, there was only one thing that could piss off Jace: someone hurting Clary. Simon and a bunch of guys still remembered what happened to the creep from a few years ago.

_Freshman year, Simon could feel his eyes widening as he tried to take in everything at once. It was overwhelming trying to process the transition from middle school to high school, but Clary seemed to adjusting to it with ease. That probably had to do with the fact that she had Jon and Jace to help. Alec was acting a bit distant lately and Simon noticed that he glanced at Jace more often than necessary._

_Wherever Clary went, Jon or Jace was there to escort her. It was amusing as hell when she eventually snapped at Jon and told him that she didn't need an escort to the bathroom. Simon probably could have asked them to help show him where to find his classes but he wasn't that close to Jon and Jace was too distracted by Clary to even notice him. He was amazed that Clary didn't notice Jace's heated stares, but that helped Simon out since it meant that she didn't feel the same way for the Golden Boy._

_After they got settled, an upper classman named Sebastian began to take an interest in Clary. The girls said that he was charming, but for once, he united with the guys and tried convincing Clary that he was bad news. There was something about the way that Sebastian looked at her when she wasn't looking that brought goose bumps to Simon's skin; it was the gaze of a predator._

_It stung when Clary told him to back off and claimed that they were just friends. He let his jealousy get in the way and the ensuing argument nearly tore their friendship apart. For a week, Clary refused to speak to him, but that changed when Sebastian made his move. He finally asked Clary out and to everyone's surprise, she turned him down. Sebastian did not let that deter him and kept pestering her to agree to a date. Isabelle kept telling her to go for it, but Clary was always vague about why she didn't want to date him._

_Simon only heard the rest of the story after everything had happened. Apparently, Sebastian had corned Clary alone in the parking lot and tried getting her to go for a ride. She refused and tried to walk away when Sebastian grabbed her arm. When Clary tried to pull away, Sebastian slapped her and drove off when he heard people coming. A stranger named Magnus found Clary weeping on the sidewalk, hiding behind a bush._

_After much coaxing, he finally got her to come out and Clary had him drive her to the Lightwood's home. She couldn't face Jon just yet. Alec spotted them pull up and freaked out when he saw the tears streaking down her face. Before she could stop him, he called everyone down to help. Fortunately, Simon was hanging out with Isabelle and he ran down at Alec's insistent tone._

_Instead of turning red like the guys, he and Isabelle brought her up to Izzy's room. They locked the guys out until they started to calm down and let them interrogate Magnus in the mean time. Jace slipped out during the chaos and nobody saw him for a few hours. He returned with a black eye, nodded at Jon, checked on Clary, and locked himself in his room._

_Nobody saw Sebastian for a few days. When they did, he looked like he was mauled by a bear. Dark bruises covered every inch of his body, his left arm was in a sling, and he walked with a limp. He told the adults that he got into an accident, but people figured it out when Sebastian started to flinch near Jace. He avoided Jace at all costs and transferred schools before the year was over. It was brutal, but people learned an important lesson: never mess with one of Jace's friends._

Simon couldn't help but laugh. He finally figured out why Jace was upset and couldn't blame him, though his bruised jaw made it difficult to laugh. Everyone stared at him, demanding to know why he was laughing after getting punched but he brushed them away. He was tempted to sling his arm around Izzy's slender waist but decided against it if Jace returned. A small part of him felt a little bit of pride; Simon, the nerd, made the school's most eligible bachelor jealous.

~o.O.o~

Clary was steaming in her last few classes. Simon's jaw was rapidly turning purple but he said that he was fine. Even more confusing was the fact that he laughed and told them to go easy on Jace, because he would have done the same thing. Did she miss something? Better question: why did Jace punch him?

The ride home was tense. Both Jon and Clary wanted to find out what happened to Jace but he wasn't responding to anyone's messages. They stopped by his house and banged on the door, only to find that it was empty. Panic slowly started to ensue until Jace sent out a massive text to their group of friends, except Simon. It just stated that he was fine and would be in school tomorrow.

He didn't respond to any of their questions and eventually shut off his phone so nobody could reach him. Seeing that Jace didn't want to be found, everyone but Clary gave up. She had an idea of where Jace would go and waited until Jon fell asleep before leaving. At the last minute, she grabbed her old and current sketchpads and shimmied her way out the window.

Rubbing her arms, Clary briskly walked over to the old playground. He had a thing for swings and going on them always helped clear his head. Sure enough, Clary soon heard the familiar creek and let her previous rage consume her. She stalked over to the swings and waited for Jace to stop. He took his time and her anger started to bubble forth when she saw the misery written all over him.

"Now you look like the one who is walking to their doom." The thought slipped before she could stop it. The corner of Jace's mouth curved up but immediately disappeared.

"Where were you?"

"What do you mean?" Clary was confused.

"I waited up all night for you. I thought you were going to come back once your thing was over, but you never came. I stayed up all night thinking about you and what happened between us. I thought you regretted what happened and then I spent hours calling myself an ass for kissing you. Damn it, I shouldn't have done it and I should regret it, but I don't." Jace paused and made to take a step towards her, but then stopped.

"I have one rule when I kiss a girl. Never kiss someone who is already taken. I prided myself on the fact that I am at above some of those douches in school who just use girls, but yesterday proved that I was just as bad as them. I was so happy to hear how you felt and I regretted never letting you know how much I cared for you that I kissed you without thinking about it. I won't fault you for the kiss. I started it and it was therefore my fault. Don't beat yourself up over it and if you want, I will explain it to _him_."

Jace kept ranting but Clary stopped listening. It was confusing and she hated seeing the anguish on his face. "Wait, what are you talking about? Who are you going to explain the kiss to?"

"Simon, your boyfriend. I kissed you even though you guys are together and I am trying to explain that I regret it." Jace stared at her as if she lost her mind.

"Simon and I broke up." She stated that as if it was common knowledge. If it was, he sure as hell wasn't in the loop.

"When? If it was because of yesterday, then I will make it right between the two of you." Jace's face hardened in determination, but there was almost a gleeful look in his eye.

"Two weeks ago. We decided that it wasn't working and that we were better off being friends."

"Two weeks." Jace kept mumbling that under his breath and began to pace. Clary began to worry when his hand started to rake through his hair. That was a bad sign. Finally he stopped and turned towards her.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me that? We are supposed to be best friends and you couldn't be bothered to tell me that you broke up with your boyfriend after six months? I tell you everything Clary and I expected you to return the courtesy." Jace couldn't help letting the hurt leak into his voice.

"Why do you even care? You and I agreed that wouldn't talk about our relationships, so I never saw the need to bring it up." Clary could feel her voice rising and felt her fists clench in anger.

"I care about every damn thing that happens to you, whether it makes you happy or sad. And if you are sad then I will sure as hell find a way to make it better. Yes, we never spoke about our relationships with other people but I always made it clear to you when I broke up with one. I don't expect you to tell me right away, but in the past two weeks, you could have said something." Jace was right, and Clary knew she was slowly losing this battle.

"Fine, I probably should have said something but what about at lunch today? What the hell was that about?"

"I thought you were still with him and that was why you avoided me last night. At lunch, you two were sitting together and the second your back was turned, he was flirting with Isabelle, putting his hands all over her. I couldn't stand it. I want you so much and it looked like he was just throwing it all away by cheating on you, so I snapped." Sometime during the argument, their voices had calmed and they moved closer. Jace was now less than a foot away from her and she couldn't look away.

One of his hands traveled to the small of her back, while the other held her chin in place. He slowly inched forward, giving her time to back away. After losing their screaming match, Clary was not in the mood for a slow kiss. She grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed her lips onto his lips.

He didn't object and simply pulled her even closer. His hand left her chin and would into her hair, while the other helped keep her upright as he walked her backwards. She felt the cool press of metal against her thin dress and gasped. Jace took advantage of the moment and allowed his tongue to plunder her mouth. Moaning, Clary tried battling him but his experience eventually allowed his tongue to win.

Breathless, Clary pulled away and rested her head in the crook of his neck. "I hope there wasn't any confusion for this kiss." Jace said with a smirk. Clary was tempted to smack him upside the head but settled for a little bite on his collarbone.

"No, but if you keep acting like a cocky ass, I am going to leave a much bigger bite mark on you."

"I'd love that. Hmm, I never figured you to be a biter. I wonder what else I will learn about you." Jace winked and Clary could feel the heat searing her face. His eyes were obviously roving over her body and she felt a familiar tingle in the pit of her stomach starting to form.

Clary pulled away and grabbed his hand, unable to meet his eyes. "Come on, everyone is still pretty worried about you." Jace sighed, but allowed her to lead the way back. When they reached his house, Clary was about to let go when Jace tugged her back.

"Nope, if I am going to endure Izzy's screeching tomorrow, I might as well do it with a good night's sleep." Clary smiled and followed him up to his room. They had to climb the trellis in case someone was downstairs but that added to the excitement.

Settling in Jace's arms, he pulled the blanket around them. Clary reached over to set the alarm and planted a sloppy wet kiss on his face to annoy him. Disgusted, Clary relaxed into bed and drifted off to the sound of him grumbling.

~o.O.o~

Jace woke up to the sound of someone crashing through his window. He forgot to lock it last night and quickly reached over Clary to pull out a bat. The person's voice sounded familiar and his cursing woke Clary up. Frightened, she shrieked and slid behind Jace.

The intruder froze. "Clary?"


	6. Reconciliation

Yay! Another chapter! Here is a minor lemon for my readers who are putting up with my sporadic posts. I loved writing this lemon and I promise to add some more in the future. This chapter is somewhat important, but it is also partially a filler. Sorry!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments.

* * *

Simon swore as he tried to slip through Jace's window. It was easy enough sliding his body through the window, but just as he was home free, his foot got caught on the sill. Of course, his cursing was loud enough to wake the dead and with his luck, Jace both woke up and grabbed a baseball bat. Eyeing the bat, Simon slowly got up and raised his hands, making sure not to startle Jace. A familiar flash of red hair moved behind Jace and Simon's jaw nearly dropped.

"Clary?" Frightened green eyes stared at him and recognition dawned on Jace's face. To Simon's relief, Jace put the bat away and wrapped a protective arm around Clary. She immediately leaned into his embrace and reached over to turn on the lamp. It was a simple gesture but one associated with familiarity and comfort.

A growl interrupted Simon's thoughts and he returned to the matter at hand. "Lewis you have a minute to explain why you woke us up before I pummel you with my bat."

"I came here because I wanted to talk to you about Clary and yesterday, but I guess that what I was going to say is useless now." Jace paused and tilted his head in confusion.

"Wait, you aren't going to demand an apology or something? I clocked you pretty hard and I can see your bruised jaw in this light." Simon humorlessly chuckled and rubbed his sore jaw. It looked worse than it felt but he would have done the same thing in Jace's situation. Granted, he would have only managed an attempt, but the principle still applies.

"Nah, I figured it out. Remember, I have known you guys for years now. Admittedly, I didn't expect to see you guys in bed together, but that's something I will just force myself to repress with a nice long anime marathon. By the way Clary, want to come over my house after school?" Simon saw Jace's arm tense at the end but Clary accepted. She still looked like she was in shock over the whole thing and was probably a little curious about what they were going to talk about.

"Alright, I am going to go out your door because I don't want to break a bone trying to climb down your tree." Simon's hand had just closed around the doorknob when Jace called him.

"If you go anywhere near my sister's room, I will make sure you won't be able to see for a week." Of course Jace would threaten him, but at least there was a playful undercurrent to it. He hoped.

~o.O.o~

After Simon left, Jace shifted so that he was sitting up against the headboard and pulled Clary onto his lap. For a few moments, she rested her head against his chest and listened to the sound of him breathing. "Jace, are we together? I mean, are we a couple?" His hand gently stroked her hair, reveling in the fact that it was loose and therefore didn't have any pointy obstacles in the way.

"Well, I care deeply for your Clary. I really want us to be together, that is, if you are okay with that?" _Great Jace, way to make yourself sound desperate._

Silence permeated the room and Jace stopped stroking Clary's hair, panic setting into his body. Clary twisted in his arms so that she was straddling him, and Jace had to bite back a groan at the change. Her warm body was directly over him and the fact that she didn't know what she was doing made it even more tempting. _God, the things he could do to her in this position._

Clary's cheeks reddened, and whispered that she wanted to be with him before she pressed her soft lips against his lips. He immediately recovered from the shock and returned the kiss with more force. She didn't object and instead, wound her fingers into his hair. Her fingers lightly tugged on his curls and Jace couldn't help but groan aloud. Normally, he hated it when girls tugged on his hair because it always got caught on their ridiculous looking nails but with Clary's deft fingers, it felt amazing. The sound seemed to encourage her and she pressed herself even closer to him.

At this point, Jace was leaning forward causing their chests to tightly press together. The friction, even with clothes on, frayed at his self control and when a breathless Clary pulled away, he couldn't let go. He moved his lips down the side of her neck, searching for the most sensitive spots. Her neck turned out to be pretty sensitive and he soon had Clary gasping from his touch. When he kissed the junction between her neck and shoulder, she let out a soft moan, the first one he ever caused.

Smiling like a Cheshire Cat, Jace returned to that spot. Slowly, he used the tip of his tongue to trace around the spot. He felt her shiver and twist her neck to the side, allowing him greater access. He refused to comply and decided to thoroughly abuse that spot before he continued his exploration. Taking care not to leave a mark, he began to alternate between rough kisses, light touches with his tongue, and the slight pressure of his teeth nibbling her. It worked; her moans grew in intensity and her body began to writhe against his, restless for something only he could provide.

Pulling back, Jace brushed the curls away from Clary's face and smirked. Her face was flushed and her chest was breathing heavily. _Up and down. I wonder what they would look like without a shirt or bra holding them back._ A light smack brought him back to reality and Jace noticed with amusement that Clary's face had turned an even darker shade of red. He flashed her a cocky grin and couldn't resist teasing her.

"What? I was merely enjoying the sight of seeing you breathless. You know, I never realized how much you liked-" Jace couldn't finish his statement. While he was talking, Clary had started to fidget and accidentally ground herself into him.

"Jace? Is something wrong?" He let out an incredulous laugh at the way her face scrunched up in confusion.

"You can't be serious. Wow, way to kill a man's ego Clare." Gripping her hips, Jace pulled her tightly against him and rolled himself directly between her legs, carefully watching her expression. She closed her eyes and let out a breathy gasp that made Jace tighten his grip on her hips. Embarrassment overcame the pleasure and Clary buried her burning face in his neck. Jace pressed a soft kiss to her head and rubbed her back. Reluctantly, he leaned her back so that he could see her face.

"Do you want to go back to sleep? We still have a few hours before you need to head back." Clary nodded and pushed him so that he was lying behind her, with an arm wrapped around her waist. Just before Clary fell asleep, an odd thought came to her.

"Jace, what did you mean by 'way to kill a man's ego'?" Jace chuckled but chose not to respond since Clary had already fallen asleep.

~o.O.o~

_Clary whipped her head around, confused. She was sitting on Jace's bed, dressed in lacy lingerie that revealed too much skin. Tugging the dress down, Clary heard a husky chuckle, right by her ear._

_"I happen to like seeing your legs like this, but go ahead and keep pulling that dress down; I'm getting an excellent view of your chest." Clary was about to turn around and yell at Jace for staring at her when she found that she could not move. Her body reacted against her orders and chuckled, leaning back against Jace's naked chest. She could feel him grinning and bit her lip when his hands wrapped around her front, cupping her breasts. _

_One hand began to massage her, while the other used its thumb to torture her nipples. They both grew hard under his touch and Clary found her body arching her neck to the side, silently begging him to kiss her. Despite her objections and lack of control, she could feel everything her body felt; indignation was battling against the lust and Clary was afraid of which one would win._

_"You know, I am feeling very-" Jace squeezed both of her nipples. "generous right now. All you have to do is say my name baby. Say it and I will make sure you spend tomorrow trying to figure out how to walk." Mentally, Clary widened her eyes. In that brief moment, her lust overtook her indignation and Clary found herself back in charge of her body. Jace must not have been aware of it and continued exploring her chest. Breathily, she whispered his name._

_Jace used his tongue to trace the curl of her ear. "Louder." Clary felt her heart skip a beat and felt her eyes flutter shut. She repeated his name a little bit louder. He growled in disatisfaction and proceeded to bite her neck. "I said louder." Clary moaned out his name and felt the moisture between her legs increase. _

_Slowly, he pulled his hands away and slid the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders. it pooled around her hips and Jace allowed one hand to return to her chest. The rough callouses of his hand on her chest nearly made her lose it. It was an incredible contrast of rough on smooth, golden skin against her pale white. As she marvelled over the contrast, Jace slid his hand between her legs. He took a deep breath when he felt the warmth radiating from her and the moisture rapidly coating his fingers._

_"By the angel Clary. Wake up. Wake up."_

Clary woke up to see Jace shaking her shoulders. Startled, Clary let her hand fly out and nearly managed to smack him in the face before he caught it. Smirking, Jace pinned her arms over her head and leaned right over her face.

"Is that the thanks I get for waking you up on time? We forgot to set the alarm last night but thankfully, I'm too used to waking up at this hour. But never mind that. I am more interested in what you were dreaming about. Based on the fact that you kept moaning my name, I would say it was a very good dream. Please, describe it in great detail."

Clary felt her face flush an impossibly dark shade of red. _She was moaning in her sleep?_ Shaking her head, she brushed him off and sat up, making sure her back was turned towards him. Just as she was about to get up, Jace tugged her down and wrapped his arms around her waist. The similarities between now and her dream were too much to handle. Clary found her body beginning to heat and her breath rapidly increasing.

"How do you want to go about this? Rat boy saw us in bed last night, Izzy and Magnus definitely suspect something, and if they suspect something, then eventually Jon will catch on. Do you still want to keep this a secret?"

Clary turned around, the heat and desire from yesterday momentarily forgotten. "Our friends deserve to know, but I'm afraid about when we tell Jon. He barely tolerated it when I dated Simon, and that was only because he thinks of Simon as a harmless fly. You on the other hand, you can basically look at a girl and get her to give you her panties." Jace chuckled and tried giving her "the look", but it failed under her glare. "Jonathan also thinks of you like a brother, so I'm not sure how he will react."

Sighing, Jace rubbed the back of his neck. "You're right. We never really talked about it, but I am pretty sure he will at least let me go on a date with you."

"How are you so sure?" Clary tilted her head in confusion.

Chuckling, Jace kissed the furrow between her eyebrows. "Remember that party a few months ago where everybody got really drunk? I was one of the only few people still sober and I accidently walked in on your brother drunkenly making out with Izzy."

Clary shot up. "Wait, Izzy never mentioned this to me."

"Not surprised. They were both drunk out of their minds and I happened to remind Jon about it the next day. He made me swear not to tell you or Alec, and in return, he owed me. Big time." Jace's proud smirk was back. For a moment, Clary wondered if his face would one day freeze like that.

"Well that's taken care of. But, you forgot one thing."

"What?"

Smiling, Clary placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "You still haven't asked me out and I haven't said yes yet." Chuckling, Jace wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back on to his lap; she had to admit, she enjoyed being there.

"Alright. Clarissa Adele Morgenstern, will you go out on a date with me?" Tapping her chin, Clary pretended to think about this and eventually broke out laughing when Jace brought out his puppy dog eyes.

"Yes Jace. I will go out on a date with you." They sealed it with a kiss.

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P.S Please Read and Review!


	7. Facing the World

Oh my God! I am so sorry for the delay in updating! I would give you a million reasons why I couldn't update, some of which are valid, but they are just excuses and you guys deserve better. Here is my latest chapter, and it was originally going to be a lot longer, but the result was too long. I didn't want to bombard you guys with everything, so the next chapter, which is really part II, will be posted in a few more days.

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me so far in this story! I really appreciate your reviews, favorites, and follows. I already have the whole plot laid out, but since I took so much time with this chapter, I will do you guys a favor. If you suggest some ideas to me, I will be sure to incorporate the best one into my story! (Plus credit for the idea!)

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She lifted her left hand up and stared at her ring. Sunlight peeked through the cracks of the curtains and cast a spotlight on the diamond. An entire prism of colors exploded onto the sheets, each color twinkling and rapidly changing with the slightest movement. The design was simple, a diamond sitting atop a field of gold, but the size, however, was another story. The diamond dwarfed the gold band and the extra weight dragged her finger down. Everything had gone to plan. The ring was her spoils of war and the ensuing celebration would be her wedding.

Two images popped into her mind before she could lock them away. The first was a simple tiger lily resting on an indented pillow. The vibrant orange was the only few traces of color in the room and against the white background, it stood out. It was not accompanied by a note, but she understood the message. Even now, she smiled at the memory. The second image was a pair of confused, yet amazed amber eyes, clouded by the pelting rain. Turning onto her stomach, she brushed the images away; it was all in the past and she hated bringing up the past.

~o.O.o~

After much prodding from Jace, Clary finally snuck back into her room. Running low on time, she hastily threw on a fitted green shirt and a short black skirt, braiding her tangled hair as she ran down the stairs. As she walked by the hallway mirror, Clary paused and stared. Her curls were a little more mussed than usual and her lips were still swollen, but there was something different. Even now, she had a slight smile on her face and almost looked like she was glowing. _If I look like this now, I wonder what I will look like when I sleep with Jace. _The thought made her blush and she caught herself._ If she sleeps with him, not when._

With Jace it probably would only be a matter of time before they slept together. He may have deep feelings for her, but he was Jace Lightwood and according to Isabelle, he rarely went more than a few days without some sort of action. Heavy make out sessions like last night wouldn't be able to sustain him for long.

Clary started nibbling on her fingernail. Ever since she slept with Simon, she wasn't as shy around the topic of sex, to Isabelle's great disappointment, and even caught herself fantasizing about Jace a few times. Still, thinking about it and actually going through with it were two different things and she wasn't ready to jump into bed with Jace after being together for less than a day.

A large hand settled on her shoulder, startling her from her examination. "Clarissa, you have ten minutes before I leave for work. Jonathan left an hour ago to speak to the coach and unless you want to walk to school, I suggest you stop staring at yourself and get ready for school." Clary waited for her father to leave before she tied off her hair and went into the kitchen to grab an apple. Opening the fridge, Clary saw a bag of strawberries with a sticky note attached. _'Sorry for leaving. I had to talk to coach. -Jon_.

Smiling, Clary felt her annoyance ebb away. Jon knew how much she hated spending time alone with their father and found the perfect way to make up for it. She dropped the berries in her bag and quickly walked out of the door, leaving two minutes to spare. Her father was not kidding; he followed through with his threats.

Clary slid into the back seat, situating herself as far away from her father as possible. It wasn't that she did it out of discomfort, rather, that was the way they always sat. Father sat in the driver's seat, Jon right behind him, Clary was next to Jon, and the front seat was left open. It was where her mother used to sit. Since that day, they all agreed to leave the seat empty, unless they had a guest.

They spent the car ride in a comfortable silence. Her father must have been in a good mood because he turned on the radio, tuning it to his favorite station. Classical music softly drifted through the speakers and Clary could almost picture the way the player's fingers flew over the keys. It was a difficult piece and it took Jonathan weeks to master it. She loved listening to him play and would spend hours drawing to whatever melody he decided to play.

Just as the song trickled to a close, her father pulled to a stop outside of the school. Perfect timing, as always. "If Robert and Maryse agree, you may stay over the Lightwood's residence for the night. I have already placed $50 in the front pocket of your bag so that you do not inconvenience the Lightwoods and I trust you to complete your homework. Jonathan has already been notified and agreed to stay with the Lightwoods. My guest will be coming over at six so if you need anything, come home and get it as soon as you are out of school." Hearing the dismissal, Clary got out of the car, wished her father a good day, and watched as he drove away.

Once again, a hand settled on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. "You know, I can practically see the smoke coming out of your hair. It's trying to escape that rat's nest of curls that you call hair, but I think it's stuck." Turning around, Clary attempted to glare at Jace, but failed miserably when she saw the bright smile on his face.

It was infectious and Clary noticed that Jace's bright mood seemed to spread throughout the school. In every hallway, students laughed louder, smiled more, and buzzed with energy. Slinging his arm around her shoulders, Jace brought their bodies closer and a noticeable heat spread throughout her body. Clary tried pushing the nagging heat away, but each brush of his calloused skin on her arm increased its fervor. _What was happening to her?_

The warmth was suddenly snatched away from her shoulders as Simon and Isabelle arrived. Hanging back, Simon and Clary watched as Isabelle went on a tirade, screaming at Jace for being irresponsible, having no regard for her feelings, acting like a complete caveman for punching Simon, and the list went on. Jace took it all in stride, and if Clary looked closely, she could see a slight smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. Isabelle however, was too busy to notice and only stopped once the bell rang. Turning around, she whipped her hair back, making sure it smacked Jace in the chest, and went off to class.

"Well, that's one way to make sure I don't stay in bed. Screw alarm clocks, I can just listen to Isabelle's screeching every morning." Jace rubbed his ears as if they actually hurt. "I don't suppose you will kiss my ears better?"

Jace gave her his best puppy dog face, knowing she would crack. He used to pull that look all the time whenever he wanted something or was about to get in trouble. When they were young, all it took was one look for her to cave and the only reason he stopped using it was because it wasn't 'manly'. Covering her eyes, Clary tried to avoid seeing his wide eyes and pouting lips; she felt like she was kicking an actual puppy whenever she tried to say no to him when he was like that.

Warm fingers went to her wrists, trying to be gentle as he pulled them apart. She refused to budge and suddenly felt his body pushing her back into the lockers, his hips locking her in place and reigniting the heat between her legs. Surprised, her grip loosened and Jace successfully pulled her hands away, forcing her to look at him. Damn him, he still had it.

"Just one kiss?" Clary sighed in resignation, fighting the smile pulling at her lips.

"Just one, unless of course you more. In which case, I have several more injuries that are in desperate need of your soothing lips." Jace wiggled his eyebrows. Clary blushed at the obvious innuendo and if they were alone, she might have taken him up on his offer. There were some places on his body that she definitely wouldn't mind kissing or licking, like his well toned abs. Likewise, there were places she would love for him to kiss and even bite. When they dated, Simon used to joke that she was like a vampire's subjugate because she loved being bitten on her neck.

Leaning on her toes, Clary gave each of his ears a slight peck. His hips were still holding her in place so she was barely able to reach, but Jace didn't show any sign of moving.

"Jace, why are you holding my little sister against my locker and why is she kissing your ears?" Jace immediately jerked back, rubbing his neck as he tried to figure out what to say. Clary was mortified. This was too early. They were planning on telling Jon later today, preferably when he was exhausted from football practice. Hiding behind Jace like a coward, she peeked over, trying to gauge Jon's reaction as he stared at Jace.

His arms were crossed over his chest and his feet were planted together; a passive pose meant Jace still had a chance. Actually, Jace was probably just as strong as Jon but an angry Jon was outright scary and violent. His face wasn't angry, but it definitely wasn't happy and Clary prayed that Jace would phrase things very carefully.

Stepping to the side, Jace grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. "I know this is all of a sudden Jon, but Clary and I are going out. I planned on telling you later tonight, but you obviously caught us before we could say anything. Just know that I care about her and wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

Jon's nostrils flared and his fists started to clench. _Shit._ Jace narrowed his eyes and pulled her behind him, preparing to fight if needed. The tension between the two was palpable and the people around them were starting to take notice. Whispers too soft to hear filled the hallway and it only seemed to increase the tense silence between the two boys.

Clary knew that Jace didn't want to do anything, but if Jon swung, then Jace would be forced to act. It all depended on Jon and Clary hoped he wouldn't do anything rash. Both his future and life depended on his football career, but that would go down the drain if he fought. Students who fight are automatically suspended, which means he would not be able to play this season and therefore, college football recruiters would not see him play. Football was Jon's one-way ticket into the Ivy League and their father would kill him if he screwed that up.

Slowly, Jon closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and walked away, leaving behind a crowd of confused people. Grumbling in disappointment, the onlookers dispersed and satisfied themselves by creating wild stories to explain what had just happened. Clary could already hear two loud freshmen girls saying that she was in a love triangle with Jace and Jon, but Jace was winning. Jon only backed away because he wanted to win Clary back after school. That led to a heated discussion on who was hotter: Jon or Jace. Clary could tell that Jace over heard when he scoffed and turned away from the chattering girls.

Looking up at him, Clary wasn't sure what to say to Jace about what had just happened. Class hadn't even started yet, and their plans for the day were already going out the window. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the fact that half the school knew they were going out and could only imagine some of their reactions.

The guys would probably inflate Jace's ego by congratulating him on having the guts to ask out the "forbidden fruit". The girls on the other hand, would probably circle around her like vultures, searching for signs of vulnerability, and pouncing the moment their relationship looked like trouble. Some girls, like Kaelie, probably wouldn't even wait for something bad to happen; they would create it for themselves if needed. Clary could already feel glares burning their way through her back, trying to incinerate her body so that they could have Jace for themselves.

A warm hand tilted her chin up and she was greeted with a hesitant smile. "Well, at least we finally got that out of the way and without any sort of bodily harm, though Jon did look tempted. Compared to him, telling everyone else will be a piece of cake, especially since half the school already knows about us."

His chuckle brought a shiver down her back. Noticing it, Jace slipped off his leather jacket settled it over her shoulders, and pulled her close to his body. It was comforting and even though the heat was starting to become too much for her, she smiled as Jace's scent washed over her. Wrapping her arm around his waist, Clary watched as Jace used his free hand to open his locker, which was right next to Jon's locker, and slid his bag onto the shelf.

Without hesitation, he withdrew from her side and stepped behind her. He gently pulled her bag off her shoulders and threw it in the locker, pausing to ask if she needed anything from it. Surprised, Clary had to clear her throat before answering. "Yeah let me grab my books."

Clary reach over and pulled out all of the books she would need for the day since she wasn't sure if she would be able to come back and get her stuff. As she reached for her fifth book, Jace's hand pulled it out of her grasp and looked at her in confusion. "Why are you grabbing your art supplies when you have the class at the end of the day?"

Blushing, Clary looked down. "Well, I don't want to bother you every time I need to grab something from your locker, so I figured that I might as well bring all of my stuff with me. There really aren't that many things Jace; I can handle the extra weight." Sighing, Jace picked apart her pile, only letting her keep her History notebook.

"No, it is a big deal. First off, you are no longer allowed to carry your books to class. Second, what's mine is yours Clare-belle, so get used to using my locker. Besides, my locker is next to most of your classes, so it would be more convenient to use it." Reaching for her hand, he magically made a pen appear and wrote his locker combination on her wrist. He signed his name on it with an elegant flourish, smirking at the result.

"There, now you can go into my locker whenever you want, but keep my combo a secret. Around here, my locker combo is a fortune." Clary didn't even bother resisting the urge to smack him upside his swollen head. He was acting like a chauvinistic ass by refusing to let her carry anything, but the intent was sweet. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, until she saw the ink written on her arm.

As promised, he wrote down his locker combination, and underneath that was his name, written across her entire forearm. A little heart even decorated the bottom of it and combined with the elegant handwriting, everyone would assume that she wrote it. "Jace you asshole! Why did you sign your name all over my arm? Everyone is going to think I turned into one of your crazy groupies!" Fuming, Clary watched with narrowed eyes as Jace had the nerve to smirk.

He pulled her tightly to his chest and placed an apologetic kiss on her lips, though he didn't look anywhere near remorseful. Instead, he looked proud of his signature and pressed a kiss right above her pulse. Her heart rate immediately picked up and Jace clearly noticed by the way his smile grew.

"You are mine, just as I am yours. I was only making that clear to anyone who couldn't understand it. And anyone who knows you will be able to tell that you didn't write it; your handwriting makes chicken scratch look legible." Seeing the impending slap, Jace stepped back and continued. "If you want, you can mark me in _any_ way you want. Feel free to be creative."

Stomping away, Clary took a move out of Izzy's book. She huffed and made her hair whip him in the chest as she turned, ignoring Jace's cries as she walked away. Going to the nearest bathroom, she turned on the faucet, ready to wipe away the dark blue ink on her arm. Wetting a napkin, she smudged his name from her arm, taking a small amount of delight as she pictured his reaction when he looked at her arm. Opening her phone, she copied down his locker combination and wiped that off as well.

The only remnant of Jace's stupidity was the small heart on her pulse. Looking around, Clary threw away her napkin before she could wipe it away. Jace was definitely acting like an idiot, but he was her idiot and what he said made sense. She wanted people to know that she was taken, and even if nobody else understood the meaning of the heart, she knew what it meant; she belonged to Jace and was proud to display it. The late bell shattered the still silence in the bathroom and Clary quickly ran out, cursing Jace for making her late.

He wasn't to blame, but it was easier to blame him than admit that she lost track of time because she was too busy thinking about his golden eyes, or chiseled jaw. Slipping into her first class, she was about to sit down in a random seat when she saw her sketchpad. It was sitting atop a pile of books, reserving her a seat right next to the windows, her favorite spot in a classroom. Grudgingly, she smiled. _That idiot may have a giant head, but at least he has his moments. _

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Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me so far in this story! I really appreciate your reviews, favorites, and follows. I already have the whole plot laid out, but since I took so much time with this chapter, I will do you guys a favor. If you suggest some ideas to me, I will be sure to incorporate the best one into my story! (Plus credit for the idea!)

P.S Please read and review!


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